The prior art is replete with numerous examples of prior art visual signaling devices of various types and which can be utilized on overland vehicles and other assemblies and which, for example, are useful for signaling adjacent drivers regarding a change in the operational status of the overland vehicle. Such signaling devices, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,005,724; 5,014,167 and 5,355,284, for example, have found a wide degree of commercial acceptance and have been successfully installed and operated on overland vehicle platforms of various designs for a number of years.
As seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,733,134; and 5,923,243, the teachings of which are incorporated by reference herein, other inventors have attempted to provide various visual signaling devices on overland vehicle platforms, and which have been useful for projecting a light which may form a design either forwardly, or rearwardly of the overland vehicle for various purposes including collision avoidance. Another example of a warning apparatus for an overland vehicle is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,362, the teachings of which are also incorporated by reference herein. In that reference, a signal emitter comprising a lamp emits a visible light beam rearwardly of the overland vehicle and towards the roadway to indicate a safe stopping distance for an overland vehicle which is traveling therebehind. In some forms of this invention, a signal detector may be provided on the trailing vehicle to detect the energy beam from the lead vehicle.
A visual warning device which provides many advantages over the prior art devices and practices utilized heretofore is the subject matter of the present application.